Deck section for storage rack



Aug. 23, 1966 z. HALL 3,268,089

DECK SECTION FOR STORAGE RACK Filed Feb. 16, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

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DECK SECTION FOR STORAGE RACK Filed Feb. 16, 1965 2 Sheets-$heet 2 INVENTOR.

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United States Patent 3,268,089 DECK SECTION FOR STORAGE RACK Lee Z. Hall, Huntington Woods, Mich., assignor to Palmer-Shile Company, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Filed Feb. 16, 1965, Ser. No. 432,991 3 Claims. (Cl. 211-153) This invention relates to deck sections for industrial storage racks, and more particularly to removable members for such racks which may be placed in groups along the cross rails to form platforms for supporting various loads.

varying widths.

It is also an object to provide an improved deck section of this type which has relatively rigid flat end surfaces capable of coacting with the flanges of a known type of cross rail in such manner as to minimize the twisting of such cross rail.

It is another object to provide an improved deck section having these characteristics, which is economical to fabricate, attractive in appearance, and may be handled with ease.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a collapsible storage rack on which is mounted a plurality of deck sections made in accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view in elevation taken along the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1 and showing the manner in which one of the deck sections is supported by the cross rails;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2 and showing engagement of one end of the deck section with the cross rail;

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view in elevation taken along the line 4-4 of FIGURE 2 and showing the shape of the intermediate portion of the deck section;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of the deck section showing the construction of an end portion thereof; and

FIGURE 6 is a bottom plan view of the portion of the deck section shown in FIGURE 5.

Briefly, the illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises a deck section fabricated of sheet metal and having an elongated platform portion presenting a flat rectangular upper surface. The section is also provided with a pair of downwardly extending end flanges which are adapted to engage the upper portions of the outwardly facing surfaces of a pair of cross rails on a storage rack. This rack may be of a knockdown type having spaced pairs of posts between which the cross rails extend. The length of the platform is such that the end flanges will engage the outsides of a pair of front and rear cross rails.

Each section is also provided with a pair of downwardly extending sides. These sides are of constant relatively shallow height adjacent the ends of the platform and have sloping portions leading to a relatively wide intermediate portion. The sides are also provided with a pair of inturned flanges, the width of which is relatively narrow adjacent the end of the platform, gradually widens along the sloping portions of the sides and is relatively wide 3,268,089 Patented August 23, 1966 along the intermediate portions of the sides. The length of the relatively shallow end portions of the platform sides is suflicient to accommodate a variety of widths of cross rails.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, a knockdown storage rack is generally indicated at 11 in FIGURE 1 and comprises spaced end members generally indicated at 12 and front and rear cross rails generally indicated at 13 and 14 respectively. Each end member 12 comprises a front post 15 and a rear post 16 connected by cross braces 17 and 13 to form a rigid unit. Posts 15 and 16 have a plurality of vertically spaced recesses 19 for receiving connecting members 21 which are secured to the opposite ends of each cross rail '13 and 14. End members 21 are removably mountable in recesses 19 at varying heights, depending upon the type of goods to be stored on the storage rack, with each pair of front and rear rails 13 and 14 being at equal heights. The coaction of connecting members 21 with posts 15 and 16 is described more particularly in Patent No. 3,044,633, dated July 17, 1962. Briefly, this coaction includes a wedging action of members 21 against the posts, securing the entire assembly together as a rigid unit. It will be understood that the principles of the present invention are applicable to other types of storage racks than that described above.

The construction of each cross rail 13 or 14 is seen particularly in FIGURE 2. This construction includes a flat upper flange 22, a flat lower flange 23, a central vertical web 24, and inclined webs 25 and 26 connecting web 24 with the upper and lower flanges. This particular construction is described in greater detail in patent application Serial No. 229,385, filed October 9, 1962, now US. Patent 3,194,408, granted July 13, 1965. It will be understood, however, that the deck section disclosed and 'claimed in the present application is usable in conjunction with cross rails having other cross-sectional configurations, although it is especially adapted for cross rails having flat upper flanges similar to flange 22.

There are many instances where products may be stored on a pair of cross rails 13 and 14 without the necessity of deck sections, such instances being typified by the use of pallets. The need often arises, however, for a flat deck or platform upon which various types of merchandise can be conveniently stored and removed.

The invention comprises a deck section generally indicated at 27. This deck section is fabricated of sheet metal and has a flat rectangular platform portion 28, the length of which is substantially equal to the distance between the outermost portions of the outwardly facing surfaces of a pair of rails 13 and 14, and the width of which is substantially less than its length. The width is also preferably a submultiple or aliquot part of the length 'of rails 13 and 14, so that a whole number of deck sections 27 may be extended completely between adjacent end members 12 without appreciable play.

A pair of downwardly extending flanges 29 and 31 are formed at the ends of platform 28. The width of these flanges is equal to that of platform 28 and their height is suflicient to maintain engagement with the upper portions of beams 13 and 14 as seen in FIGURE 2. The distance between flanges 29 and 31 is such that no appreciable lengthwise play of section 27 will be permitted when it is in place.

Section 27 also has a pair of sides 32 extending downwardly from the longer edges of platform 28 along the entire length. These sides have relatively shallow end portions 33 of constant height, a central portion of substantially greater constant height, and connecting portions 34 between the midportion and end portions which have gradually sloping lower edges. Because of the sloping connecting portions, the necessity of welding together vpoint over the shear center.

the shallow and deep portions of each side 32 is avoided, and the entire unit may be fabricated by a series of press operations.

Sides 32 also have inturned flanges 35 extending along the entire length of their lower edges. The shape of these flanges is perhaps best seen in FIGURES 4 and 6. Adjacent side portions 33, flanges 35 are relatively narrow, as indicated at 36. Adjacent central portions 32, flanges 35, are relatively Wide. The connecting portions 37 of flanges 32 between the central portions and end portions 36 are of gradually increasing width. Flanges 35 extend at right angles to vertical sides 32, with portions 36 therefore being horizontal and engageable over substantially their entire areas with upper flanges 22 of cross rails 13 and 14. The length of flange portions 36 is suflicient to accommodate the widest upper flanges 22 which will normally be used in the racks with which the deck section is to be assembled.

The change in height of sides 32 from their end portions 33 to the central portion is gradual; the wide central portions of sides 32 in the illustrated embodiment occupies somewhat less than one-half of the total length of deck section 27. As a result, largely obtuse angles will be formed at the junctures of portions 33 and 34 of the sides as well as the junctures of portions 34 with the central portions of the sides; this is clearly visible in FIG- URE 2. Likewise, the change in width of flanges 35 from their end to their central portions will be gradual, as seen in FIGURE 6, with very large obtuse angles being formed at the junctures of the various sections. The deck section will thus be subjected to a minimumof stress concentration along its entire length. The wider central portions of walls 32 in flanges 35 will of course contribute to the transverse strength of the deck section.

In use, sufficient numbers of deck sections 27 may be placed in juxtaposed relation on pairs of cross rails 13 and 14 to meet storage requirements. Because of the relatively shallow end portions 33 of sides 32, the deck sections will occupy a minimum of space in a vertical direction, leaving more room between levels of the storage .rack. Because of the inturned nature of flanges 35, the

sections may be easily handled and will be retained in position by end flanges 29 and 31 as well as by their engagement with each other.

In the particular cross rail section shown, the shear center, a theoretical axis related to beam twisting, is well within the confines of the section, so that twisting will be minimized by the shifting of the load on flange 22 to a This shifting takes place because the initial twist of the rail (clockwise for rail 14 in FIGURE 2 and counterclockwise for rail 13) causes separation of the inboard portions of flanges 22 from the flat surfaces of flange portions 36. In the present invention, the shifting of loads is facilitated by the rigid nature of the deck section, and especially the end portions thereof.

While it will be apparent that the preferred embodiment of the invention disclosed is well calculated to fulfill the objects above stated, it will be appreciated that the invention is susceptible to modification, variation and change without departing from the proper scope or fair meaning of the subjoined claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a deck section for use in conjunction with a storage rack of a type having front and rear cross rails, a flat rectangular platform portion, downwardly extending flanges at the opposite ends of said platform portion, the distance between said end flanges being substantially equal to the distance between the outwardly facing surfaces of the front and rear cross rails on which the deck section is to be mounted, a pair of sides extending downwardly from the longer edges of said platform portion along its entire length, said sides having relatively wide central portions, relatively narrow end portions of constant height and gradually sloping portions connecting the central and end portions, and inturned flanges along the lower edges of said sides.

2. In a deck section for use in conjunction with a storage rack of a type having front and rear cross rails, a flat rectangular platform portion, downwardly extending flanges at the opposite ends of said platform portion, the distance between said end flanges being substantially equal to the distance between the outwardly facing surfaces of the front and rear cross rails on which the deck section is to be mounted, a pair of sides extending downwardly from the longer edges of said platform portion along its entire length, said sides having relatively wide central portions, relatively narrow end portions of constant height and gradually sloping portions connecting the central and end portions, and inturned flanges along the lower edges of said sides, said inturned flanges having relatively narrow portions adjacent the end portions of said sides, relatively wide portions adjacent the central portions of said sides, and connecting portions of gradually changing width between the end and central portions.

3. In a deck section for use in conjunction with a storage rack of a type having front and rear cross rails, a flat rectangular platform portion, downwardly extending flanges at the opposite ends of said platform portion, the distance between said end flanges being substantially equal to the distance between the outwardly facing surfaces of the front and rear cross rails on which the deck section is '00 be mounted, a pair of sides extending downwardly from the longer edges of said platform portion along its entire length, said sides having relatively wide central portions, relatively narrow end portions of con stant height and gradually sloping portions connecting the central and end portions, the lower edges of said central side portions being horizontal, the length of said central side portions being less than one-half the total length of said deck section, and inturned flanges along the lower edges of said sides, said inturned flanges having relatively narrow portions adjacent the end portions of said sides, relatively wide portions adjacent the central portions of said sides, and connecting portions of gradually changing width between the end and central portions.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,042,797 6/1936 Nechin 52-492 2,473,976 6/1949 Timm 52635 2,815,130 12/1957 Franks 211148 CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner.

W. D. LOULAN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A DECK SECTION FOR USE IN CONJUNCTION WHITH THE STORAGE RACK OF A TYPE HAVING FRONT AND REAR ACROSS RAILS, A FLAT RECTANGULAR PLATFORM PORTION, DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING FLANGES AT THE OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID PLATFORM PORTION, THE DISTANCE BETWEEN SAID END FLANGES BEING SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE OUTWARDLY FACING SURFACES OF THE FRONT AND REAR ACROSS RAILS ON WHICH THE DECK SECTION IS TO BE MOUNTED, A PAIR OF SIDES EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM THE LONGER EDGES OF SAID PLATFORM PORTION ALONG ITS ENTIRE LENGTH, SAID SIDES HAVING RELATIVELY WIDE CENTRAL PORTIONS, RELATIVELY NARROW END PORTIONS OF CON- 